HONG KONG Tour Guide Interview:

Here’s our latest interview with a tour guide or certified local as we seek to learn from some of the top experts from the places we love.

If you are a certified tour guide and would like to be considered for an interview, drop me a note at: uliketotravel@gmail.com and we can chat about specifics.

My questions are in bold and the responses follow below. Please excuse us if you see a mistake in grammar, we are travel bloggers not English writers. 😉

What’s your name and how old are you?

Answer: Vincent, 25 yrs old.

Do you have kids?If so, how old are they?

Answer: No kids.

Where are you originally from and what city do you currently live?

Answer: Born in Shanghai, started living in Hong Kong since 2015.

How long have you been a tour guide?

Answer: For two years.

Why did you want to become a tour guide?

Answer: I like traveling myself and I would like to let more people understand more about the culture of a certain city.

Are you a licensed tour guide? What cities? If so, from which organization?

Answer: I am not licensed. Both Hong Kong and Shanghai can be guided by me.

How many tours have you provided?

Answer: About 90 something.

Let’s get to the exciting stuff. Why should anyone visit the city?

Answer: Hong Kong is the meeting point of western culture and Chinese culture. It has the most skyscrapers in the world. Victoria Harbor is one of the most renowned night view in the world. The traditional lifestyle and traditional architectures are preserved well. Besides urban area, 70% of the city is covered with nature. Mountains, forests, beaches… Many sports can be experienced in this city.

Is the city safe? What areas are not safe?

Answer: Most part of the city is very safe. Even young girls can walk with no danger at midnight in most part of the city.

Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei are not so safe at night.

What’s the weather like?

Answer: It is dry and cool from early November to late March. The lowest temperature is usually around 8 degrees Centigrade. The other months are hot and wet. It almost rains every day. The highest temperature is about 35 degrees centigrade.

What languages are spoken in the area? Is English spoken?

Answer: Most people speak Cantonese here. Mandarin and English are the second and third choice. The Hong Kong style English may have some accents. Minnan, Shanghainese, Hakka dialects are spoken by some citizens. There are lots of Filipinos and Indonesians working in this city. So Tagalog and Bahasa Melayu and Javanese are spoken by them.

Is US Dollar widely accepted?

Answer: 5-star hotels may accept US dollars. But in most places, Hong Kong dollars is the only currency that can be accepted.

Octopus card can be bought at the airport or subway stations and can be accepted to pay in 90% shops. Credit card can be accepted in 75% shops. Apple Pay and Android Pay can be accepted in 20% shops. And Alipay and WeChat Pay can be accepted in 50% taxis and 25% shops and the percentage is growing rapidly.

What are the best areas or districts to stay in the city?

Answer: It is very nice to stay in Mid-level and SOHO area. Several 5-star hotels are gathering in Admiralty area. Budget hotels can easily be found in Yau Tsim Mong District.

What’re your top 3 hotels and why?

Answer: Ritz Carlton is the highest hotel in the world above sea level and the bar on the top can offer you a bird’s eye view of the city. The Peninsula is the oldest hotel in Hong Kong and in Queen Victoria Era style furnishing. Tai O Heritage Hotel is the west most hotel in Hong Kong. And you can explore the colonial culture of Hong Kong there and have a nice view of the sunset along the beach nearby.

How does one get around the city? Taxi, Uber, similar apps, ATVs?

Answer: There are double decker buses, double decker trams, minivans, 10 subway lines, and ferries consists of Hong Kong’s public transportation systems. It is highly efficient that more than 60% Hong Kong citizens would choose.

Only red taxis goes to every single place in Hong Kong. Green taxis operates in New Territories. Blue ones only runs on Lantau Island. Uber is widely used in this city.

Can you highlight the MUST see sight? Minimum of 5, feel free to share as many as you would like.

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About Me

Marcello Sobrinho

For those of you that love to travel and adventure around this amazing globe. We are here to give you amazing tips and experiences around the world. Marcello is a high energy traveler having visited 42 countries around the globe. He is also a business consultant with many skills such as sales, business development, marketing, customer service, management, event management, tradeshows, and others. Marcello graduated in the top 1% of San Jose State University earning his Bachelors Degree in Business & Finance. Marcello also earned his MBA at Florida International University in Miami. Marcello speaks fluently three languages: English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Marcello currently works at ADP and is a six times Sales President’s Club and four times Pinnacle Award Winner for the Fortune 100 company.